Ball-bearing



No. 6l|,236. Patented Sept. 27, I898. n. CRANE.

9 BALL BEARING.

(Application filed June 4, 1896.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL CRANE, SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,236, dated September 27, 1898. Application filed June 4, 1896. Serial lid 594,206. .(No model.)

To all whom it mar concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL CRANE, of Seneca Falls, in the county of Seneca, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearings, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact descriptionr This invention relates to journal-bearings adapted to be applied as shaft-hangers or axles.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction and general arrangement of this class of devices by the incorporation of ball-bearings which are located 'at points where friction would occur to'make the operation more sensitive and at the same time obviate wear on the said bearings.

The invention consists of the details of construction and arrangement -of the several parts,which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying-drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the improved j ournal-bearing applied to the shaft. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the device shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal and vertical section of each of the separate parts of the device as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows the device complete as attached to a shaft.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar letters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the views, the letter a designates a shaft or journal, and ct a bracket upon which the parts are mounted. The bracket a supports a cup 17, having at one side a cavity with a curved contour conforming in outline to the circumference of a ball and also provided with a central opening through which the shaft or axle extends. On the shaft or axle is mounted a collar (I, having a neck extending from one side thereof integrally formed with a head in the outer surface of which is formeda concaved or grooved channel, which extends entirely around the said head at a point about midway the distance from the shaft to the adjacent edge of said head. Adjacent to where the neck joins the head an annular groove or channel g is also formed in the inner face, and placed over the said collar, but not resting thereagainst, is a cap h, which has an inwardly-extending portion abutting against the inner portion of the cup b. The said cap h does not touch the collar 01 at any point except where it is formed with the annular channel 0r groove 9, corresponding and 0pposite to the groove g. In the inner face of the said collar 01 and in the said channels or grooves balls 9? are mounted toset up an antifrictional -means of connection, and at the same time a retention'of the said cap is sustained by theballs g to preventit from touching the said collard. In the cup I) and engaging the groove 6 in the outer face of the collar d are balls 0, which are of such dimension as to hold the outer end of the collar away from contact with the adjacent portion of the cup after a sufficiently loose adjustment of the collar has been made. After the said collar is adjusted set-screws f, carried in the neck thereof, are clamped against the shaft or axle, and thus it will be seen that the only points of contact between any of the parts are through the medium of the antifrictional devices or ballsinterposed in the manner stated.

It will be observed that the cup I), collar cl, and cap h described above can be made in two parts or sections, so that they may be easily and quickly applied to the line of shaft which is already hung without the necessity of taking the same down. The cup, cap, and collar are divided into two sections for the sole purpose of applying them to the shaft without the necessity of removing the latter from its place in order to save time and expense. When put in place, the two sections of each part are fastened together, and thus become an entire part wholly encircling the shaft. This enables the improvement to beapplied to any bracket or any place on the line of the shaft without disturbing any bracket or' pulley on either side of the point of application.

The details of applying the improvement to a shaft are substantially as follows: The two half-sections of the collar are made fast, en-

circling the diameter of the shaft. Then the two half-sections of the cup are placed around the shaft and fastened at one point. Then the collar is pushed to its position in the cup andihe large set of'balls are placed or inserted in the groove or ballway. Then the other point of the cup is made fast. Then the cap is placed in position around the shaft and the second set of balls are inserted. The cap, being made fast at the two points, is abutted against the cup and made fast thereto, therein forming a ball-retaining journal which can be moved along the shaft and placed in a hanger.

To apply this invention to an axle, it will only be necessary to make very slight 1nodifications within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In combination with a shaft, a cup I) through which the said shaft extends, a collar d secured to the shaft and having an outer face with a concavity or groove surrounding the same about midway the distance between the shaft and the edge of the collar and an inner face with a groove therein, a cap fitting over the said collar and having an inwardly-extending portion with a groove therein correspondin g with the groove in the inner face of said collar, and an outer portion at right angles to the inwardly-extending portion, said outer portion being parallel with the shaft and abutting against the outer edge of the cup, balls mounted in the cup and engaging in the concavity or groove in the outer face of the collar, and balls engaging the grooves in the inner face of the collar and the adjacent portion of the cap, whereby the said cap is held out of contact with the collar at any point and the collar prevented from contacting with the cup, and the said cup also held in its adjusted position by the balls engaging the groove thereof, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In witnesswhereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of May, 1896.

DANIEL CRANE.

In presence of-- ERNEST G. GOULEY, E. TERESA MCBRIDE. 

